Difference between revisions of "SGD Newsletter, Fall 2020"

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'''About this newsletter:''' <br>
 
'''About this newsletter:''' <br>
  
This is the Fall 2020 issue of the SGD newsletter. The goal of this newsletter is to inform our users about new features in SGD and to foster communication within the yeast community.
+
This is the Fall 2020 issue of the SGD Newsletter. The goal of this newsletter is to inform our users about new features in SGD and to foster communication within the yeast community.
You can also subscribe to SGD's RSS feed to receive updates on SGD news:
+
You can view this [https://wiki.yeastgenome.org/index.php/SGD_Newsletter,_Fall_2020 newsletter] as well as previous newsletters on our [https://wiki.yeastgenome.org/index.php/SGD_Newsletter_Archives Community Wiki].
 +
 
  
 
==New SGD Allele Pages==
 
==New SGD Allele Pages==
[[File:allele_page.png|600px]]
+
[[File:allele_page.png|link=https://yeastgenome.org/allele/S000277751|300px|thumb|left|upright=.8|The cdc28-13 allele page.]]
<br><br>We recently added a new tool to SGD called the [http://www.yeastgenome.org/variant-viewer Variant Viewer]. You can use the Variant Viewer to compare the nucleotide and protein sequences of your favorite genes in twelve widely-used Saccharomyces cerevisiae genomes.  This tool uses sequence data derived from SGD publication [http://www.yeastgenome.org/reference/S000179596/overview Song et al., 2015] to show alignments, similarity scores, and sequence variants for open reading frames (ORFs) from the different strains relative to the S288C reference genome.
+
We are pleased to announce that SGD’s brand new Allele Pages are now available on our website. To navigate to an allele page, use the search bar to find a specific allele or enter a gene name and select an allele from the autocomplete list. Additionally, these pages can be accessed by clicking on the allele name in a gene’s Phenotype Annotation table. These pages are still being updated with new information as it becomes available.
 +
The type of information that you can find on each allele page includes: 
 +
*'''Allele Overview:''' General information about the allele, such as its name, the affected gene, the type of allele (e.g. missense), and a description of sequence change and/or domain mutated.
 +
*'''Phenotype and Interaction Annotations:''' Phenotype and Genetic Interaction Annotation tables for the allele.
 +
*'''Shared Alleles:''' A network diagram depicting shared phenotypes and interactions with other alleles.
 +
If you are interested in viewing all alleles for a specific gene or would like to view a comprehensive list of the alleles that SGD currently has curated, you can use [https://yeastmine.yeastgenome.org/yeastmine/template.do?name=Gene_Alleles&scope=all this YeastMine template] with your customized parameters.
 +
 
 +
<br>
 +
 
 +
 
 +
 
  
To get started with the Variant Viewer check out our [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_DooZIUzxk tutorial video].  You can also read more about it in this recent SGD paper [http://www.yeastgenome.org/reference/S000182068/overview Sheppard et al., 2015].
 
  
==SGD’s 60-second Help Videos==
 
SGD is actively expanding its library of short video tutorials to help you use various SGD tools and pages.  Check out the latest new videos available for the following topics:
 
  
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_DooZIUzxk Variant Viewer]
+
==Interaction Page Updates==
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zq7OIWBE34g GO Term Finder]
+
SGD has made recent updates to our Gene Interactions Page for improved clarity. Previously, genetic and physical interaction annotations were combined in one table, but now these annotations are recorded in separate annotation tables. The menu in the top left corner can be used to view and navigate to each section of the Interactions page. Additionally, alleles, SGA Scores, and P-values are now included for annotations from the global interactions paper by [https://www.yeastgenome.org/reference/S000185095 Costanzo M, et al. (2016)].  
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWLHntEZMO8 GO Slim Mapper]
+
<br>
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzbX7tKeb5o What is GO?]
 
  
Videos are accessible via the SGD [http://www.yeastgenome.org/help/video-tutorials Video Tutorials] page and through SGD's [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnTiLvqP2aYeHEaJl7m9DUg YouTube] channel.  If you have a great idea for a 60-second SGD help video, or would like to see a particular topic covered, feel free to [http://www.yeastgenome.org/cgi-bin/suggestion contact us!]
 
  
==Research Spotlight (Blog Posts)==
+
[[File:genetic_interactions.png|650px|left|Image: 650 pixels]] [[File:physical_interactions.png|650px|Image: 650 pixels]]
In case you missed them, here are some of the most popular Research Spotlights posted on our blog lately:
 
  
*[http://www.yeastgenome.org/yeast-on-their-best-behavior Yeast on Their Best Behavior] Just like you might change your behavior around friends and family this holiday season, [http://www.yeastgenome.org/reference/26510787/overview Piccirillo and coworkers] show that yeast also behaves differently because of the cells around them.
+
==Links on SGD gene pages to homolog gene pages at the Alliance of Genome Resources==
 +
[[File:alliance_links.png|thumb|left|upright=.8|]]
 +
[[File:alliance_links_2.png|thumb|right|upright=.8|]]
 +
Previously, the 'Comparative Info' section on the Gene Summary page contained a link to the [https://www.alliancegenome.org Alliance of Genome Resources] if integrated model organism details were available. Now, users will instead find hexagonal buttons representing each model organism (human, mouse, rat, zebrafish, fly, and worm) for which there is homologous gene information at the Alliance of Genome Resources. Clicking on the link will immediately direct the user to the gene page for the selected model organism on the Alliance website.
  
*[http://www.yeastgenome.org/yeast-the-spam-filter Yeast, the Spam Filter]  Turns out yeast can act as a pretty good spam filter.  [http://www.yeastgenome.org/reference/S000181430/overview Hamza and colleagues] put it to the test when they systematically screened for human genes that can replace their yeast equivalents, and went on to test the function of tumor-specific variants in several selected genes that maintain chromosome stability in ''S. cerevisiae''.
 
  
*[http://www.yeastgenome.org/life-needs-to-be-more-like-a-1950s-chevy Life Needs to be More Like a 1950’s Chevy] Modern cars have a lot more bells and whistles than their older counterparts, but they just don’t seem to last as long!  [http://www.yeastgenome.org/reference/S000181747/overview McCormick and coworkers] showed a similar concept in their painstaking search through deletion strains were they found that many nonessential genes seem to shorten a yeast’s life.
 
  
*[http://www.yeastgenome.org/you-can-take-yeast-off-of-the-grapevine-but You Can Take Yeast Off of the Grapevine, But…] [http://www.yeastgenome.org/reference/S000181347/overview Rossouw and colleagues] show the importance of looking beyond lab isolation to get clues into the evolution of gene families.
 
  
*[http://www.yeastgenome.org/unleashing-the-awesome-power-of-yeast-transcription Unleashing the Awesome Power of Yeast Transcription] In today’s age of social media, communicating across large distances is much easier than it used to be.  [http://www.yeastgenome.org/reference/S000181290/overview Reavey and coworkers] showed in a study that they can help yeast keep up with the times and mutate away it’s inability to activate transcription at a distance.
 
  
==SGD at the 27th International Conference on Yeast Genetics and Molecular Biology (ICYGMB)==
 
[[File:yeast-meet.jpg|300px]]
 
<br><br>In September 2015 members of the SGD staff attended the [http://yeast2015.eu 27th International Conference on Yeast Genetics and Molecular Biology] in Levico Terme, Trento, Italy.  Several of our members presented posters on various current SGD projects:
 
{| width="50%" border="1"
 
|- style="vertical-align:middle;"
 
| style="text-align:center;"|Presenter
 
| style="text-align:center;"|Poster Title
 
|- style="vertical-align:middle;"
 
| style="text-align:center;"|[[File:Edith-staff_pic.png|center|70px|thumb|Edith Wong]]
 
| style="text-align:center;"|[[Media:Yeast2015_EW_v4.pdf | Integrating genome-wide datasets into the ''Saccharomyces'' Genome Database]]
 
|- style="vertical-align:middle;"
 
| style="text-align:center;"|[[File:Stacia-staff_pic.png|center|70px|thumb|Stacia Engel]]
 
| style="text-align:center;"|[[Media:Biocuration2015posterBig.pdf | Homology Curation at SGD: budding yeast as a model for eukaryotic biology]]
 
|- style="vertical-align:middle;"
 
| style="text-align:center;"|[[File:giltae-song.png|center|70px|thumb|Giltae Song]]
 
| style="text-align:center;"|[[Media:Giltae_Poster_Yeast2015.pdf | Inferring genome variation patterns in ''Saccharomyces cerevisiae'' using the eukaryote pan-genome toolset]]
 
|-
 
|}
 
  
<br>In addition to hosting an exhibit table where we got to interact with many of you, we were thrilled to have been given the opportunity to give an SGD workshop, ''Getting More Out of SGD'', on the first day of the conference. The workshop featured exciting new data developments at SGD including new yeast-human functional complementation data, the new variant viewer, and new data in YeastMine. Your feedback is important to us, so we loved answering questions and hearing your comments at this well-attended workshop!
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==Alliance of Genome Resources at [https://www.alliancegenome.org/release-notes Version 3.2]==
 +
[[Image:alliance_logo.png|link=https://www.alliancegenome.org/ |thumb|left|upright=.7]]
 +
The [https://www.alliancegenome.org/ Alliance of Genome Resources], a collaborative effort from SGD and other model organism databases (MOD), released version 3.2 in October. Notable improvements and new features include:
 +
*Gene pages now display transgenic allele data under the 'Transgenic Allele' section.
 +
*Allele and Variant sections on Gene pages have improved formatting and are now downloadable.
 +
*"NOT" disease annotations are shown in Disease, Alleles and Variants, and Models sections when an anticipated disease annotation was not found.
 +
*Enhanced variant data representation on Allele pages.
 +
*High-throughput profiling experiment metadata can be searched and will display in the search results as HTP Dataset Index.
 +
*The [https://www.alliancegenome.org/news/the-alliance-user-community-discussion-forum-was-released-on-october-14-2020 Alliance User Community discussion forum] has been released.
  
If you would like to see tweets from the conference, search #yeast2015 on Twitter.
+
==Jeremy Thorner Retiring==
 +
[[File:jeremy_thorner.jpeg|150px|thumb|left|upright=1]]
 +
Jeremy Thorner, a prolific yeast researcher and outstanding mentor, has announced that his lab is closing. His lab provided the following notice:
  
==Recent Publications from SGD Staff==
+
"After 47 years at the University of California, Berkeley, the laboratory of Professor Jeremy Thorner will be closing permanently, as of 30 June 2021.  After that date, there will be no way to distribute any strains, plasmids, enzymes, or antibodies generated during the course of the studies on ''Saccharomyces cerevisiae'' conducted by the Thorner laboratory over those many years."
#Sheppard TK, Hitz BC, Engel SR, Song G, Balakrishnan R, Binkley G, Costanzo MC, Dalusag KS, Demeter J, Hellerstedt ST, Karra K, Nash RS, Paskov KM, Skrzypek MS, Weng S, Wong ED, Cherry JM (2015). The ''Saccharomyces'' Genome Database Variant Viewer. Nucleic Acids Research. 2015 Nov 17; pii: gkv1250. doi: 10.1093/nar/gkv1250. [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26578556 PMID: 26578556]<br>
 
#Reid BJ, Culotti JG, Nash RS, Pringle JR (2015). Forty-five years of cell-cycle genetics. Mol Biol Cell. 2015 Dec 1;26(24):4307-12. doi: 10.1091/mbc.E14-10-1484. [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26628751 PMID: 26628751]
 
  
==What else have we been up to lately?==
 
In addition to at the International Conference on Yeast Genetics and Molecular Biology, you may have seen SGD representatives at the following meetings:
 
[[File:SuperYeast.jpg|thumb|left|upright=.75]]
 
 
<br>
 
<br>
*Senior biocuration scientist Edith Wong attended the annual [http://www.ascb.org/future-ascb-annual-meetings/ ASCB] meeting in December 2015.
+
 
*Senior biocuration scientists Marek Skrzypek and Maria Costanzo showcased SGD at the [https://meetings.cshl.edu/meetings.aspx?meet=yeast&year=15 Cell Biology of Yeasts] meeting in November at Cold Spring Harbor.
+
 
*Project Manager Gail Binkley attended the [https://meetings.cshl.edu/meetings.aspx?meet=info&year=15 Genome Informatics] meeting in October at Cold Spring Harbor.
+
 
*Senior biocuration scientist Rama Balakrishnan and PI Mike Cherry attended the [http://wiki.geneontology.org/index.php/2015_Washington_DC_GOC_Meeting_Agenda GO Consortium] meeting in Washington DC at the end of August.
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==YeaZ system for microscopy images==
 +
[[File:sgdwiki-yeaz-screenshot.png|300px|thumb|left|upright=1]]
 +
[https://www.epfl.ch/labs/lpbs/data-and-software/ YeaZ] is a system for efficiently and accurately segmenting microscopy images of yeast cells. It contains a convolutional neural network, with an underlying training set of high-qual|ty segmented yeast images, as well as a graphical user interface and a web application to employ, test, and expand the system. The system contains a Python based application with graphical user interface available on [https://github.com/lpbsscientist/YeaZ-GUI GitHub], as well as standalone apps for both Windows and Mac based computers, and training sets. Additional information is available in the accompanying Nature Communications paper by [https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-19557-4 Dietler et al., 2020].
 +
 
 +
YeaZ was created at École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland. Please contact [https://www.epfl.ch/labs/lpbs/professor-rahi/ Sahand Jamal Rahi] with questions, or ideas for improvements.
 +
 
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 +
==In Memoriam: Angelika Amon==
 +
[[File:angelika_amon.jpeg|150px|thumb|left|upright=1]]
 +
It was with great sadness that we learned that Angelika Amon, cell biologist and Professor of Biology at MIT and a member of the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, passed away on October 29, 2020. Angelika was widely known for her novel contributions to the field of cell biology and proliferation, with her research focusing on aneuploidy and the consequences of chromosome mis-segregation. At the beginning of Angelika's career, her work on yeast genetics led to the discovery that cyclins must break down completely before cells progress from mitosis to G1.  
 +
 
 +
Her research has helped shape the current understanding of cell division, and her passion for genetics will live on through her students and colleagues who continue her work. Angelika was a treasured part of the genetics community and will be missed dearly.
 +
 
 +
The Genetics Society of America has featured [http://genestogenomes.org/in-memoriam-angelika-amon-a-brilliant-scientist-and-a-dear-friend/ a tribute piece in remembrance of Angelika Amon], written by her friend and colleague, Orna Cohen-Fix.
 +
 
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 +
==Gene Ontology Consortium Meeting==
 +
[[File:goc_group_photo.png|thumb|left|upright=1]]
 +
From October 6th-8th, PI Mike Cherry, Senior Biocuration Scientist Edith Wong, Senior Biocuration Scientist Rob Nash, Senior Biocuration Scientist Marek Skrzypek, Biocuration Scientist Suzi Aleksander, and Associate Biocuration Scientist Micheal Alexander attended the Gene Ontology Consortium meeting. Suzi presented on SGD’s GO display and GO tools, and curators learned more about how other databases utilize GO. SGD Curators also participated in meaningful discussions about improving existing GO resources while also helping with the planning of new GO projects.
 +
 
 +
We would like to thank The Gene Ontology for facilitating this successful change to a virtual conference and holding an accessible, well received event for the entire model organism community!
 +
 
 +
 
 
<br>
 
<br>
  
==Happy Holidays from SGD!==
 
[[File:SnowShmoo.png|thumb|left|upright=.25]]
 
We would like to take this opportunity to recognize that 2020 has brought many changes and challenges for everyone. Our thoughts go out to all those who have been impacted by the unprecedented events of this year. We wish you and your family, friends, and lab mates the best during the upcoming holidays. Stanford University will be closed for three weeks starting on December 14 and will reopen on January 4th, 2021. Although SGD staff members will be taking time off, the website will be up and running throughout the winter break, and we will resume responding to user requests and questions in the new year.
 
<br><br>
 
  
==Upcoming Meetings==
 
*[http://cns.natsci.colostate.edu/conferences/rmyc/ Rocky Mountain Yeast Conference]
 
:Colorado State University, Fort Collins CO, USA
 
:January 8, 2016
 
:Registration deadline extended: December 28, 2015
 
  
*[http://events.embo.org/16-transcription-yeast/ Gene transcription in yeast: From chromatin to RNA and back]
 
:Sant Feliu de Guixols, Spain
 
:June 11-16, 2016
 
  
*[http://groups.tecnico.ulisboa.pt/bsrg/pyff6/index.php PYFF6 - 6th Conference on Physiology of Yeast and Filamentous Fungi]
 
:Lisbon, Portugal
 
:July 11-14, 2016
 
  
*[http://www.genetics2016.org/yeast/index.shtml Yeast Genetics Meeting at TAGC 2016: The Allied Genetics Conference]
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==Happy Holidays from SGD!==
:Orlando, FL, USA
+
[[File:SnowShmoo.png|thumb|left|upright=.25]]
:July 13-17, 2016
+
We would like to take this opportunity to recognize that 2020 has brought many changes and challenges for everyone. Our thoughts go out to all those who have been impacted by the unprecedented events of this year.
:Abstract deadline: March 23, 2016
 
:Early registration deadline: March 23, 2016
 
  
*[http://icy2016.com/ ICY 2016: 14th International Congress on Yeasts]
+
We wish you and your family, friends, and lab mates the best during the upcoming holidays. '''Stanford University will be closed for three weeks starting on December 14 and will reopen on January 4th, 2021'''. Although SGD staff members will be taking time off, the website will be up and running throughout the winter break, and we will resume responding to user requests and questions in the new year.
:Awaji Yumebutai International Conference Center, Hyogo, Japan
+
<br><br>
:September 11-15, 2016
 

Latest revision as of 14:06, 24 May 2021

About this newsletter:

This is the Fall 2020 issue of the SGD Newsletter. The goal of this newsletter is to inform our users about new features in SGD and to foster communication within the yeast community. You can view this newsletter as well as previous newsletters on our Community Wiki.


New SGD Allele Pages

The cdc28-13 allele page.

We are pleased to announce that SGD’s brand new Allele Pages are now available on our website. To navigate to an allele page, use the search bar to find a specific allele or enter a gene name and select an allele from the autocomplete list. Additionally, these pages can be accessed by clicking on the allele name in a gene’s Phenotype Annotation table. These pages are still being updated with new information as it becomes available. The type of information that you can find on each allele page includes: 

  • Allele Overview: General information about the allele, such as its name, the affected gene, the type of allele (e.g. missense), and a description of sequence change and/or domain mutated.
  • Phenotype and Interaction Annotations: Phenotype and Genetic Interaction Annotation tables for the allele.
  • Shared Alleles: A network diagram depicting shared phenotypes and interactions with other alleles.

If you are interested in viewing all alleles for a specific gene or would like to view a comprehensive list of the alleles that SGD currently has curated, you can use this YeastMine template with your customized parameters.





Interaction Page Updates

SGD has made recent updates to our Gene Interactions Page for improved clarity. Previously, genetic and physical interaction annotations were combined in one table, but now these annotations are recorded in separate annotation tables. The menu in the top left corner can be used to view and navigate to each section of the Interactions page. Additionally, alleles, SGA Scores, and P-values are now included for annotations from the global interactions paper by Costanzo M, et al. (2016).


Image: 650 pixels

Image: 650 pixels

Links on SGD gene pages to homolog gene pages at the Alliance of Genome Resources

alliance links.png
alliance links 2.png

Previously, the 'Comparative Info' section on the Gene Summary page contained a link to the Alliance of Genome Resources if integrated model organism details were available. Now, users will instead find hexagonal buttons representing each model organism (human, mouse, rat, zebrafish, fly, and worm) for which there is homologous gene information at the Alliance of Genome Resources. Clicking on the link will immediately direct the user to the gene page for the selected model organism on the Alliance website.




Alliance of Genome Resources at Version 3.2

alliance logo.png

The Alliance of Genome Resources, a collaborative effort from SGD and other model organism databases (MOD), released version 3.2 in October. Notable improvements and new features include:

  • Gene pages now display transgenic allele data under the 'Transgenic Allele' section.
  • Allele and Variant sections on Gene pages have improved formatting and are now downloadable.
  • "NOT" disease annotations are shown in Disease, Alleles and Variants, and Models sections when an anticipated disease annotation was not found.
  • Enhanced variant data representation on Allele pages.
  • High-throughput profiling experiment metadata can be searched and will display in the search results as HTP Dataset Index.
  • The Alliance User Community discussion forum has been released.

Jeremy Thorner Retiring

jeremy thorner.jpeg

Jeremy Thorner, a prolific yeast researcher and outstanding mentor, has announced that his lab is closing. His lab provided the following notice:

"After 47 years at the University of California, Berkeley, the laboratory of Professor Jeremy Thorner will be closing permanently, as of 30 June 2021.  After that date, there will be no way to distribute any strains, plasmids, enzymes, or antibodies generated during the course of the studies on Saccharomyces cerevisiae conducted by the Thorner laboratory over those many years."





YeaZ system for microscopy images

sgdwiki-yeaz-screenshot.png

YeaZ is a system for efficiently and accurately segmenting microscopy images of yeast cells. It contains a convolutional neural network, with an underlying training set of high-qual|ty segmented yeast images, as well as a graphical user interface and a web application to employ, test, and expand the system. The system contains a Python based application with graphical user interface available on GitHub, as well as standalone apps for both Windows and Mac based computers, and training sets. Additional information is available in the accompanying Nature Communications paper by Dietler et al., 2020.

YeaZ was created at École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland. Please contact Sahand Jamal Rahi with questions, or ideas for improvements.




In Memoriam: Angelika Amon

angelika amon.jpeg

It was with great sadness that we learned that Angelika Amon, cell biologist and Professor of Biology at MIT and a member of the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, passed away on October 29, 2020. Angelika was widely known for her novel contributions to the field of cell biology and proliferation, with her research focusing on aneuploidy and the consequences of chromosome mis-segregation. At the beginning of Angelika's career, her work on yeast genetics led to the discovery that cyclins must break down completely before cells progress from mitosis to G1.

Her research has helped shape the current understanding of cell division, and her passion for genetics will live on through her students and colleagues who continue her work. Angelika was a treasured part of the genetics community and will be missed dearly.

The Genetics Society of America has featured a tribute piece in remembrance of Angelika Amon, written by her friend and colleague, Orna Cohen-Fix.




Gene Ontology Consortium Meeting

goc group photo.png

From October 6th-8th, PI Mike Cherry, Senior Biocuration Scientist Edith Wong, Senior Biocuration Scientist Rob Nash, Senior Biocuration Scientist Marek Skrzypek, Biocuration Scientist Suzi Aleksander, and Associate Biocuration Scientist Micheal Alexander attended the Gene Ontology Consortium meeting. Suzi presented on SGD’s GO display and GO tools, and curators learned more about how other databases utilize GO. SGD Curators also participated in meaningful discussions about improving existing GO resources while also helping with the planning of new GO projects.

We would like to thank The Gene Ontology for facilitating this successful change to a virtual conference and holding an accessible, well received event for the entire model organism community!





Happy Holidays from SGD!

SnowShmoo.png

We would like to take this opportunity to recognize that 2020 has brought many changes and challenges for everyone. Our thoughts go out to all those who have been impacted by the unprecedented events of this year.

We wish you and your family, friends, and lab mates the best during the upcoming holidays. Stanford University will be closed for three weeks starting on December 14 and will reopen on January 4th, 2021. Although SGD staff members will be taking time off, the website will be up and running throughout the winter break, and we will resume responding to user requests and questions in the new year.